From There to Here

The Cavs traded for Shaquille O’Neal.

The Magic traded for Vince Carter.

The Celtics insulted Rajon Rondo.

Are we the third-best team in the East now? I still like us ahead of Orlando IF (and it’s a big IF) they don’t resign Hedo. But Shaq and LeBron on the Cavs? Might that be what they need to give their perimeter shooters a little more room?

We need to sign somebody, and I don’t want to see this team with Kidd for a MLE unless we can swing that Rondo & Allen for Stuckey, Prince and Hamilton deal we were talking about with the Pistons. If we can do that trade with the Pistons, and pick up Kidd, I’d like that team. We bring back Pierce, Garnett and a much-improved Kendrick Perkins. We add Kidd and Rip to the starting lineup so we’re going Kidd, Rip, Pierce, Garnett, Perk. We can bring Prince off the bench for Pierce, Stuckey off the bench for Kidd.

It should be easy enough to resign Leon Powe, and if we can get Eddie House, we’ll have backups at all the positions. I’m nervous about Baby and how much he’ll cost as a RFA, but if we can bring him back at a reasonable cost, we have our first and second units set. Granted, I don’t know if Detroit would ever reconsider that deal. But it could really set up the Celtics and give them 20 million of expiring contracts into the “Summer of LeBron.”

It’s a strange time to be a Celtics fan.